Savior Belle
by SparrowsFlight
Summary: A season 1 alternate universe in which Belle is the Savior and Mr. Gold has not recovered his memories. Series of one shots.
1. Seeing In Color

The skies over the sleepy town of Storybrooke, Maine were dark and gray despite the promises of bright sunny days ahead. An early morning thunderstorm had done nothing to assuage the dreary Monday afternoon but Mr. Gold made his way down main street to collect the rent undeterred by the weather as always. In fact, he thrived in the abysmal enviornment, content in knowing that everyone around him was feeling just as dark and miserable as he felt all the time.

He couldn't even remember how long it had been since he lost his son in a terrible accident. Since his son's death his life and been devoid of light and color. Everything appearing as gray and muddled as his state of mind. The steady tap tap of his cane against the pavement was an ever present reminder of the man that he was, and would never be again.

Granny's Inn was his last stop for rent collections and he strolled up the walkway, careful to avoid the puddles that had built up with the rainfall. As he adjusted his cane to enter the building, the ashen door suddenly burst open, knocking him back several feet, causing him to drop his cane and step in the dingy clouded water, splashing his black Armani shoes. His hands instantly curled into a tight fist, knuckles turning white as he raised his head to see whom had been so careless, but stopped short by a beautiful woman.

"Oh, I am so sorry, I did not see you there!" the apologetic voice called as she bent down to pick up his cane and he was struck by a sudden flash of color in his vision.

Finally, the woman looked up at him and froze, the apologetic smile fading away as she looked into his eyes. "Mr. Gold, I am terribly sorry," she spoke again, her face full of recognition of the man that she nearly knocked over.

Gold's eyes squinted as he looked at the woman. There was something about her that was so familiar though he was sure that he had never seen this woman before in his life. Flashes of color appeared in his mind. A man with greenish gold skin, a woman in a blue dress. The flashes were quick and blurred like they were from a dream.

"Who are you?" he questioned, his normal mask of indifference fading away.

The woman took a deep breath and finally averted her eyes from his. "Isabella French."

"I've never heard of you. I know everyone in this town." It was hard to keep the suspicion from his voice. No one ever visited this somber little town in all the time he had been here.

She laughed nervously and looked around them. "Yeah well, I just recently arrived here in Storybrooke. I've been staying here at the inn," she smiled pointing a finger at the building behind her.

"That would explain why I don't know you. How then do you know who I am?" Sure he had quite the reputation among the residents of Storybrooke but to know who he was without having ever lived here seemed quite a stretch.

"Oh, I saw you open the pawn shop this morning. It said Mr. Gold on your sign. Am I wrong?" She feigned innocence but Gold could tell that she was lying. It was no matter really. It just meant that he was going to have to keep his eye on this newcomer.

"No, you're right, that is my shop. I've wasted enough time here, I need to be going," he said and began to move past her but she grabbed ahold of his arm to stop him.

"It was nice, to meet you, Mr. Gold. I'm so sorry I almost knocked you over."

Gold looked down at her hand on his arm and felt a chill of pleasure go up his body. It had been so long since someone had actually touched him on purpose that he had almost forgotten what it could be like. He looked from her hand up to her face and was startled to see intense blue eyes where there once was gray. "Yes, well. It's no matter. Just be more careful next time Ms. French."

"Belle," she corrected.

"Belle…" he gasped. Gold felt something like an itch at the back of his mind, like he was supposed to know that name, that it had some sort of significance that he could not seem to place. It was maddening. Even more so when he noticed the hopeful expression upon the woman's face like she expected him to remember something. Realizing he must have been staring at her for longer than polite he continued, "What a lovely name."

Belle's face instantly dropped in disappointment but she quickly rebounded and patted his arm. "I'll be seeing you Mr. Gold," her voice breaking off as she turned around and headed off across the street.

Gold couldn't help but to turn and look back at her and when he did, for the first time he noticed the bright yellow sundress she wore and his mind balked again. He felt like it was the first time he was seeing color. Everything around Belle seemed so bright and vibrant. It felt like the clouds that had darkened his life for so long were slowly pulled away, making him feel like he was alive again.

One thing was for certain. He wanted to know more about this beautiful woman, and what her sudden arrival meant for his future.

* * *

><p><strong>I am halfway complete with LPFC chapter 5. Sorry for the delay. Real life is a mess.<strong>


	2. Taste

It wasn't very often when Mr. Gold felt it necessary to go to Granny's Diner for lunch. He barely tolerated his once a month visits to the old woman to collect the rent money let alone seeing her twice in the same week. Widow Lucas was an ornery one and never seemed as outwardly terrified of him as all of the rest of Storybrooke's inhabitants. She could slip in a snide comment or two under her breath as she gathered the money as quickly as possible. Sometimes it could be refreshing but more often than not it put him in a fouler mood.

More than that, he felt all of the food that the diner had was often overpriced and not worth the expenditure. He had tried a new item, each time it was necessary for him to visit and it was always the same. Bland, undercooked, overcooked, runny. It may have had to do with Lucas making a statement about how she felt about him and his rental prices but then again, for as far as he could remember food had always been this way. Most times he wouldn't even bother to eat. If he did he ate small simple things, like eggs or sandwiches. Usually even those lacked all appeal. If it wasn't an absolute necessity to survive he doubted that he would ever eat anything again.

Alas, as he sat fixing an old clock however, he could no longer put off the gnawing pang of hunger in his stomach and he didn't feel like going back to his empty home. Granny's was within walking distance and if he was lucky he could be in and out without much of a fuss. When he finally entered the diner he felt a vague fascination that most of the customers eating turned to gape at him, standing in the doorway, letting a chilly bit of air run through in his wake. He made his way to the back corner booth and smirked when the town drunk Leroy and Mr. Clark vacated the chairs beside his booth, hurrying to the bar.

The scantily clad waitress, Ruby, he thought, rushed towards him as fast as her heels would carry her. She cleared her throat nervously and took down his order, iced tea and a hamburger with extra pickles, before skirting away from him like he had the plague.

For the first time in a long time, Gold realized that the sun was actually shining instead of being covered by the normal dark gray clouds that haunted the skyline. It made him think back and remember that woman that he had met outside of Granny's Inn several days ago.

Gold had been doing his best to keep tabs on Isabella French but so far it seemed like she was just a normal tourist. She had been doing some sightseeing around Storybrooke, checking out their parks and the local shops that catered to that kind of adventure. He had noticed her checking out the defunct Public Library with more than just an honest curiosity. It seemed like she had been looking for something more, though he could have been completely over analyzing her lingering gazes whenever she passed by it.

She had not been to his shop yet and he tried to pretend like that didn't bother him. He figured after their brief conversation that she might be interested in taking a quick look around. Isabella had acted like she had known him, or at the very least wanted to get to know him but he quickly shut down that train of thought. He was nothing more than an old, grouchy man, content with his feared reputation and his lonely nights, slowly drinking himself away in the study of his large empty house. Someone so beautiful, young and vibrant as she would want nothing at all to do with him.

"Hello, Mr. Gold!"

It took him a moment to realize that someone was actually addressing him, let alone the woman of his thoughts, smiling like she was genuinely glad to see him. He cursed himself for not even being aware of her entrance nor her approach to his table. Gold wasn't the only one surprised. The rest of the diner had turned and was watching this exchange with curious expressions. He narrowed his eyes at several of them and they quickly turned away lest their rent be raised the next day.

"Ms. French," he finally addressed her but said nothing more and she took the opportunity to slide into the seat across from him,

"I hope I'm not bothering you. You just looked lonely," she said and instinctively reached for his hand.

Gold's eyes immediately narrowed in apprehension and he stared at her soft pale hand on top of his larger and calloused one. It was reminiscent of a pure young woman grasping the claw of a terrible beast and it made him shift uncomfortably but he didn't pull away either.

"Ms. French I can assure you that I neither need nor am I interested in the company of any of the buffoons this town has to offer. I rather find my solitude quite amicable to my disposition."

"I'm sorry," she said and drew her hand away and Gold instantly regretted the loss of her warmth. "Would you prefer me to go elsewhere?"

"Well, I didn't say that now did I, dearie?" he smirked.

Isabella smiled at that but did not try to take his hand again.

"Are you enjoying your time in our quaint little town, Ms. French?"

"I thought I told you that you could call me Belle?" she grinned and again Gold was struck by how familiar she seemed. "I have been enjoying myself. I've had a while to look around now and start to get to know some of the people. I was actually thinking about extending my stay here. Perhaps putting down some roots. Getting my own place."

Gold couldn't resist the chortle that escaped his lips at that particular admission. Storybrooke was not the kind of town that you wanted to visit on vacation. It was even less so the kind of place that anyone wanted to settle down and put down any roots in unless they were perhaps over the age of 60. There was nothing here to offer anyone.

"Forgive me for my jaded views but why on earth would a beautiful woman like yourself wish to tie herself to this dreadful place?"

"I don't think that it is dreadful at all really. Perhaps a little sleepy but that's true of most small towns. I feel like I have a lot to offer this community and its inhabitants. For starters I was wondering if you knew why the library is closed? Was there a fire or some other kind of tragedy that would keep it shut down?"

Gold wrinkled his nose as he tried to think back and remember just how long the building had been vacant. Nothing had happened that he could recall, it had just always been closed.

"It has been empty for as long as I can remember. I think perhaps the Mayor had a hand in it, but I can't remember. The memory is a bit fuzzy around the edges. Another downfall of getting on in years, I suppose."

Belle narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips like she wanted to add more to the topic but at that moment Ruby arrived with his Hamburger and Iced tea, skittishly placing the plate before him and darting off behind the counter once more.

Gold had to admit that for the first time in a long time, he looked at a plate of food and was actually looking forward to taking a bite. The hamburger was full and juicy looking. He removed the top bun and reached and squirted a generous amount of ketchup upon it when he noticed Belle's curious glance.

He quirked a brow and found himself wanting to tease this silly woman whom was insistent upon keeping the beast company. "Ketchup," he began pointing at the bottle, "is one of this worlds most powerful forms of magic."

Belle's eyebrows quirked up at the word magic but she quickly schooled her features to a polite smile and honestly laughed at his ridiculous joke. This caught the attention of their fellow diners once more, unbelieving that anyone would want to be in Mr. Gold's presence, let alone enjoy themselves while doing so.

"Well, Mr. Gold," Belle said rising to her feet and smoothing out her faded jeans, "I suppose I'll leave you to your meal. I was just picking up a take out order. There's a few more things around Storybrooke that I want to take a look at. Thank you for keeping me company."

Gold felt a genuine smile tugging at his lips. He didn't know how she did it, but this young woman had genuinely charmed him.

"It was my pleasure, Ms. French."

"Belle!" she corrected with a smile and startled him by grabbing ahold of his hand once more. "One of these days I will have to take a look around your pawn shop. I have only been able to glance through the window but you have some fascinating pieces on display."

"I..uh.." he faltered, the promise of her seeking him out once more bringing up feelings he hadn't felt for as long as he could remember. "I would like that," he finally managed.

"Good," she said and patted him lightly. "Goodbye Mr. Gold!"

Gold watched as she smiled and turned away from him, buttoning her jacket back up as she reached the counter and called out a greeting to Ruby, like they were old best friends before taking her boxed meal and leaving.

Belle French was a curious little thing. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't looking forward to her visit to his pawnshop in the future. The thought alone had him feeling like a teenager on his first date with his crush. He sighed to himself trying to push those feelings back down into hiding. He wasn't a teenager, he was nearly fifty years old, for christ's sake.

Gold also refused to believe that Belle French had anything to do with his lunch being the first meal in a very long time that hadn't tasted like ash in his mouth. He had eagerly cleared his plate and asked for several refills of his iced tea by the time he rose to leave. He especially refused to believe that Belle and her impromptu visit to his table had anything to do with him not arguing and raising the rent with Widow Lucas for the three dollar charge for the extra pickles.


	3. Flicker of Light

Belle French did not come to visit Mr. Gold's shop on Friday or Saturday and Gold liked to keep it closed for business on Sunday's. Not for any real reason other than he reserved that entire day for himself to be alone and wallow in his own self pity and misery. On this day however, he felt something akin to anticipation coursing through his vains at the thought of seeing her again.

When he showed up bright and early Monday morning to open up, his anxious waiting finally paid off when he discovered Belle waiting at the front door for him. He schooled his features so that his excitement would not be quite so evident, despite the fact that he admired the way she was leaned up against the building.

"A bit early aren't we Ms. French?" he asked, moving past her to put the key in the door and unlock it.

"A little bit but I wanted to be sure that I would have plenty of time to have a look at things without too many customers in between," she finished with a smile and took a sip out of the Styrofoam coffee cup she held.

Gold laughed at the thought of having a busy day of customers. He hadn't had more than one customer in his shop at a time in years. Let alone multiple people on the same day. The pawn shop was more of a hobby. If he had had to rely on its profits then he would have been bankrupt long ago. No, he made all of his money in his real estate properties.

"I hardly think that will be a problem my dear." He opened the door and the overhead Belle jingled as he motioned for her to step inside. She followed quickly and was immediately taken in by her surroundings.

For a moment all she could do was marvel at her surroundings. So many things were catching her eye as she flitted around the display cases like a bee to a flower. Gold suppressed a grin as he closed the door and flipped the closed sign over. Belle was fingering a blue crystaled unicorn mobile at present and he carefully maneuvered next to her and leaned upon his cane.

"Ah yes. You have an eye for beauty I see. This piece dates back to the early turn of the century and is interlaced with blue crystal as well. Afraid it might be a bit out of your price range as well," he said and flipped over the old hand written price tag and Belle covered her reactionary gasp.

"I thought this was a pawn shop not Tiffany's!" she joked and stepped away from the mobile, lest she touch it the wrong way and it all come crashing to the ground. Instead her eyes wandered to the far wall and the collection of first edition books lining the shelves.

Gold watched her with keen interest as she reverently brushed a hand across the spines of the books, cocking her head to the side to read off all of the titles. There was something endearing about the way she carefully selected one of the titles and caressed it within her hands like it were a lover.

Once more Gold moved to her side as she slowly perused through the old yellowed pages. She had picked up a copy of the Grimm Brothers Fairytales and seemed to be carefully studying the print inside.

"A bit old for fairy tales, aren't we Ms. French?" he questioned in jest.

Belle laughed and flipped her hair behind her back, sending the sweet scent of her perfume wafting through the air. It was interesting. Usually, perfumes and flowers provoked an allergic reaction from his body, one of the many reasons he rarely used any kinds of cologne, but the scent of Belle's perfume was just right. It was jasmine and warmth and light and it reminded him of what coming home could feel like. He closed his eyes and took the sweet scent in. If Belle noticed she didn't say anything and just continued to look through the pages.

"I do love books," she replied with a giggle. "Part of the reason why I was curious as to why the library was closed. Books are knowledge and that knowledge is power. No one should have that sort of power taken away from them. It's not right," she finished quietly gripping the book in her palms so tightly that her knuckles were white.

Gold noticed this and gently took the book from her, fingers briefly brushing across her own.

"Perhaps, if you really did plan on settling down and planting your roots here, I could make a few inquiries on your behalf. I happen to be a powerful man, Ms. French. I'm sure we could figure something out."

Gold had no idea why he felt like he needed to keep Belle in this withering small town but there was a piece inside of him that kept telling him that the woman with the sad ocean blue eyes needed his protection. Besides, if he were able to sway the town council (like he knew he could) into reopening the library, it would be another thing he could stick to Mayor Mills in their extensive history of one upping the other.

"You're going to help me get this library?" she asked skeptically.

"How about we make a deal of it, dearie? You see, deals and contracts are what I truly peddle in. What do you say I do some poking around and see what can be done about getting the library open with you as its new head librarian, that is if you still feel like calling Storybrooke your home?"

Belle smiled at him gently. "You're doing all this for me?"

A flash of light shot across Mr. Gold's mind, momentarily blinding him. He closed his eyes and placed the hand not holding his can to his forehead as a slight pain began to form within.

_He could see Belle, but she wasn't really Belle. She was wearing a golden dress that looked like she had just stepped out of a costume ball and she spun around the a large room, gasping at all of the books on the wall. _

_"Did you do all this for me?" the faux Belle asked._

_It was then that Gold realized that she wasn't alone. A man, at least he thought it was a man, accompanied her. His scaly green claws pointed at her as he reponded in a seemingly teasing tone._

_"I better not see a single speck of dust!" Came the high pitched reply._

Then just like that the vision broke into a million pieces, shattering in his mind. He shook his head lightly and realized there were beads of sweat upon his brow. Belle was looking at him concerned and at some point had placed a hand upon his shoulder. He quickly pushed away from her, unsure of what had just happened to him.

Had that been a dream? Who was the green man and why was Belle there?

"Mr. Gold are you going to be okay? You're not looking well. Perhaps you should sit down," Belle said and slowly inched towards him again, one hand cautiously reaching out for him.

"I'm fine," he brushed her off again. The headache slowly began to fade in the background once more.

Belle frowned like she didn't believe him and wanted to do more but she didn't press the issue. "In return for your help with the library, what would you require in return?" she asked, directing him back to their earlier conversation.

"A favor. I'm not sure of the nature at this moment, but in the future, if I were to require your assistance then you must do as I ask of you."

Belle gently chewed her bottom lip in contemplation. "I'm not going to have to help you bury a body or something will I?"

Gold laughed at that, a deep booming sound that reverberated off the walls. "No, my dear. I can assure you that whatever I ask will be perfectly legal."

She considered it for another moment and held out her hand to him. "Deal."

Gold took her outstretched palm in his own. "Deal."

Belle smiled warmly at him and then proceeded to look around the shop for about another half an hour with Gold explaining to her various pieces and their histories, before excusing herself to leave. She continued to give him lingering looks, even as she was walking out the door but Gold showed no more outward indications of the war that was waging in his head.

What the hell was that?


End file.
